Trouble at Gmail? Humanize Before You Optimize

Posted by Casey SwantonFebruary 28, 2017

If you’ve noticed declining performance from your Gmail audience or have seen poor placement at Gmail, you are not alone. Gmail’s highly sophisticated filtering algorithm has been responsible for more than a few email marketers’ sleepless nights. In a matter of days, opens and clicks can decline 25 percent or more, and inbox placement can plummet from the 90 percent range into the 40s.

Unfortunately, troubled performance with Gmail is often pronounced, in both severity and scope. In February of 2016, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced that Gmail had one billion active monthly users. Over the past several years, I’ve seen this reflected across our B-to-C client base with email lists skewing more heavily towards Gmail subscribers. When performance at Gmail tanks, it is not a problem that can be ignored.

About Casey Swanton

Casey has a healthy fixation with helping marketers realize the potential of their email programs by addressing human needs, building better relationships, and ultimately driving improved results for the business. Her nine years of experience and obsession with evolving the email space helped land her a spot on ExpertSender’s list of “25 Email Geeks to Help You Get Your Geek On.”